Because Ideas Matter...
The faculty and staff of Butler University's College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences presents
Recommended Readings
Bicycle Diaries
by David Byrne, New York: Viking, 2009
Reviewed by Bill Watts
Bookstore owners will have a difficult time
deciding where to place David Byrne's Bicycle Diary on their
shelves. This book, by the talented musician and leader of the
now-disbanded Talking Heads, does not fit readily into any of the
established categories. It is part travelogue as it recounts
Byrne's ramblings by bicycle through American cities, such as New
York, Detroit and Buffalo, and cities abroad, including Berlin,
Manila and Buenos Aires. The book is also an exercise in art
criticism, as Byrne meets with artists and musicians in each of
these cities, and contemplates the state of contemporary art around
the world. And, finally, Byrne's book contributes to the growing
body of bicycle advocacy, celebrating the advantages of traveling
by bicycle and suggesting ways in which our cities can be adapted
for the safety and needs of cyclists.
Some will no doubt find Byrne's book fragmentary and
unsatisfying. Because the book does so many different things, it
can be difficult to find its center. And, while Byrne shows himself
to be a surprisingly deep thinker, he is not necessarily a
systematic one.
But, as a life-long cyclist and long-time fan of Byrne's music,
I find much to appreciate in this book. Byrne does manage to convey
the exuberance of the cyclist, as well as the different perspective
and the opportunity for reflection that urban cycling affords.
- William Watts is associate professor of English at Butler
University.